Skoda pushing forward without looking back
Skoda has turned around its image in recent times having been a laughing stock for generations due to building unsteady, dull and notoriously uninspiring motors. Nowadays though, they are a forward-thinking budget car maker that is winning admirers by manufacturing spacious, refined and dependable vehicles across its range. A new Skoda now reflects great value for money, but the Czech car maker is not satisfied with its recent success and instead pushing on to take advantage of its reputation transformation and here is how:
Four millionth Octavia built
Skoda’s flagship model, The Octavia, has reached an imposing milestone as the factory in Mlada Boleslav celebrated the production of its four millionth example. The Octavia has lasted three generations with many variants over that time and is now produced in Russia, India and soon to be China in 2014. Prof. Dr. H.C. Winfried Vahland, Chairman of the Board of Skoda, admitted it was an “impressive number,” which represents the “great success” of the model and the brand.
Work starts on 7-seater
The largest of Skoda’s crop, the Yeti, has been a huge success for the Czech manufacturer. However, they’ve now taken the step up by putting the wheels in motion for a much larger seven-seater that looks set to square up to the Hyundai Sante Fe and Kia Sorento. It will be a 5+2 SUV that will probably not be available until the middle of 2015. The Yeti itself will also get a bigger frame to match demand in the Chinese and Russian markets.
Looking for a lasting effect
Skoda has worked hard to rebuild its reputation for manufacturing reliable and refined motors, but still lacks that design edge, but that is something they are also looking to get back by adding “emotion” to their styling. It has come in the wake of the Skoda Rapid Spaceback and there has been mutterings to the possibility of a Skoda coupe in the future, so watch this space.
Aiming to be more fleet-footed
Skoda is still a far way behind many of its rivals in its penetration of the fleet market that makes up a good percentage of business for many manufacturers. A couple of years ago Skoda launched its Fit for Fleet campaign, but it took rather a haphazard approach to obtaining business. Now they are re-launching the scheme, but adding more weight behind it by taking a more measured and professional approach to sourcing leads, approaching relevant businesses and backing it with more trained, professional staff in order to drive it forward.